September 24, 2011

Let me start off by saying that my mother was never very adventurous when it came to cooking. Our veggies would consist of carrots, corn, and peas (which I always hid under my potatoes). When I moved out, it was like heaven where I could try anything and everything that I always wanted. I'm still on the road to discovery and yesterday was the first time I tried Chickpeas. I know. It's ridiculous.

I opened the can of chickpeas and had a sniff. It didn't really smell like anything. I've never been a fan of peas and they suspiciously looked like them, but in a cute disguise. I headed to Foodgawker to see what I could find to dress them up a bit. I came across a whole load of recipes for roasted chickpeas. I love anything roasted, so sounded good to me. I took a whole bunch of recipes and turned it into something that I thought would work...and it did!

Roasted Chickpeas...........................................................................................................................................................................................................1 Can (540mL) Chickpeas1 Tbsp Olive Oil1/8 Tsp Cumin1/8 Tsp Cinnamon1/8 Tsp Ginger1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder1/2 Tsp Sea Salt...........................................................................................................................................................................................................1. Preheat oven to 400F.2. Drain Chickpeas then let soak in a bowl of water for about 30 minutes. Strain in a colander and run more water over to remove as much sodium as you can. Pat dry and set aside.3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl then add the olive oil to create the coating. Add chickpeas and stir with a wooden spool until all chickpeas are coated. (I like to remove all the skins that come off so it looks pretty!)4. Spread chickpeas over a baking sheet (with a lip) and bake for 40 minutes or until crispy. After about 15 minutes, shake the baking sheet so that the chickpeas come loose.

And there you have it! You can eat the chickpeas either warm or cooled. They're really crunchy and a great alternative to chips. Chickpeas are really high in protein and good carbs, and they're perfect to take on the go. Better yet, when they're roasted they don't taste like peas. Hooraw!